Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje has revealed that he was put through his paces in Thor 2.

The English actor stars as Algrim the Strong and Kurse in Thor: The Dark World, opposite Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Tom Hiddleston as Loki and Christopher Eccleston as Dark Elf Malektih.

"The fighting was really demanding. Kurse is the one that does all the fighting. Kurse is very animalistic, he's got horns. So I tried to go with that flow," he told MTV News.

"My movements are like an animal: twisting my body, turning my head, all kinds of things. Kurse is meant to be extremely powerful, nothing can stop him."

The 45-year-old had to prepare before the fight scenes.

"I have a routine before I put my costume on: I stretch and do all my Pilates. You see this big creature doing Pilates, it's great. And then we'd have to go fight. Me and Chris go toe-to-toe. It was hardcore," he added.

Adewale, who has appeared in Lost, The Bourne Identity and The Mummy Returns, has enjoyed playing two different roles in the Marvel film, which is set for release later this year.

"Thor 2; great movie, great opportunity. I've been a fan of the Marvel Comics and I got a massive opportunity to play two characters in the movie: Algrim and Kurse," he said.

"You go in thinking, 'Yeah this is great'. But when you get in there, you're like whoa; six hours of make-up, prosthetics, all the physical [stuff]. But honestly, I loved it. It's going to be such an epic."